节目资讯
刊物:空中英語教室
日期:2012-03-19
难易度:Low
关键字:warmth, sunshine, vitamin, refresh, reconnect
(Music).
Welcome, everybody, to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
I hope you had a great weekend.
Well, spring is just around the corner.
And what that means is it's time to clean.
It's time to get rid of all the stuff that makes your life messy.
It's time to organize your closets.
It's time to open your refrigerators and cupboards and clear out the food that's
expired.
And according to our author, now is the time to spring-clean your mind, your
body and your emotions.
Let's find out what she means on page 38.
(Music).
Spring-cleaning.
Six steps to help you spring-clean your mind, body and emotions.
Spring officially arrives tomorrow!
After the long, cold winter months, springtime brings a promise of nicer days.
The season makes us want to throw open our windows and enjoy some warmth.
Springtime also gives many of us the desire to clean things up.
This year, though, why stop with just the house?
Let's also bring some order to our mind, body and emotions.
Here are some ideas to help get started:
Reconnect ... with nature.
Try to spend some time each day in the sunshine.
Hello, friends.
Thank you so much for joining us in the studio.
My name is Kaylah.
And today we are talking about PSYCHOLOGY.
Now Ryan, do you like psychology?
Uh... psychology is OK, I guess.
It's not my favorite subject.
But here we're talking about our PSYCHOLOGY article, which is about
Spring-cleaning.
Hmm. I don't think of spring-cleaning as a psychology subject.
You know, psychology is studying the human mind, the way we think.
How does that make spring-cleaning?
Well, I mean, winter is almost over and so spring is usually the time when
people start to clean their houses.
I think you're right, Kaylah.
We're going to learn not about cleaning your house but about helping you to
clean your mind, body and emotions.
That's right.
We're going to talk about six steps to help you clean up more your inside, your
emotions, your mind, your attitude instead of your things.
OK. Well, winter is almost over and spring officially arrives tomorrow.
Yay! I love spring.
It's a great time of the year because that means the sun comes out and the
flowers come up.
It's a lot happier.
Yes. And after the long, cold winter months, springtime becomes a promise... or
brings a promise of nicer days.
It's more comfortable.
The weather's better.
That's right.
Now we see this "long, cold winter months." That's an interesting phrase.
Now we're not saying that the months are actually longer.
They're still the same amount of days in the month.
But it means it feels very long because it's so cold and it's dark in the
winter.
It's just not so much fun.
Yeah, because it's colder, you have to stay inside.
And that might make the months feel longer.
So that means you might miss the sun.
That's right. So it feels long.
"Long, cold winter months," you can use this when you're talking about something
feels like it's taking a long time even though it is a set amount of time.
That's right.
So once those long winter months are over, then spring might be the season that
makes us want to throw open our windows and enjoy some warmth.
Now that's a fun phrase to look at as well.
The "throw open your windows" gives you a fun mental image.
Now if you throw something open, that means you push it open with great force
and energy.
So you could throw open the door.
You unlatch the door and swing it wide, and it flies open! So throw open your
windows.
Yeah. If you're opening your windows quickly, it means you are excited to open
your windows.
And I think I would be too to enjoy the spring warmth.
Well, tomorrow is the beginning of spring so I should go home and throw open my
windows to enjoy this warmth.
Now "warmth" means it has or produces a comfortable feeling of high... of a
higher temperature but not so much that you feel hot.
Yeah, it's a little bit hot but not too much.
It feels comfortable.
It feels uh, very pleasing instead of being too hot.
That's right. It's enough that you're not going to sweat a lot, and I like that.
That's right.
Now we've talked a little bit earlier too about how springtime also makes many
people want to clean.
It gives people the desire to clean things up.
That's right. We want to get everything together.
Well, this year, though, why stop with just the house?
This is what our author wants to know.
She says why stop just cleaning the house?
Let's also bring some order, some clean to our mind, body and emotions.
OK. If you're bringing order to something, it means you are organizing it.
So let's organize and clean our body, our mind and our emotions.
Here are some ideas to help you get started.
Now Ryan, before we get into these ideas to help us, why would we want to clean
up our emotions and our mind?
Well, it would be a very good idea.
It's good to continually be cleaning yourself, to be positive and remain hopeful
for the future.
That's right.
Spring brings hope. That's a good way of saying it.
We want to be hopeful. We want to have energy.
We want to get outside and enjoy things.
So we should clean up our insides so we're ready to get started.
Now let's see these tips.
OK. The first idea here is "Reconnect." What does that mean?
When you "reconnect" or when you connect with something, that means you create a
relationship with it.
Now when you see "R-E" at the beginning of a word, that means we are doing it
again.
So we have already possibly connected, and now we're going back.
Maybe we've lost touch.
So reconnect with nature.
In the winter, you don't get to go outside because it's cold and usually rainy
or snowing.
So get outside now.
Go back and connect with nature again.
Yes. Start that relationship with nature again.
And you can do that by trying to spend some time each day in the sunshine.
Now I know there's not always sunshine every day.
That happens.
A lot of times in the spring, depending on where you live in the world, it can
rain a lot.
If you're from the northwest United... United States, it rains a lot in the
springtime.
Right. Now typically here the word "sunshine" is talking about the light from
the sun or the heat coming from the sun.
And so like you said, there are many parts of the world that don't always have
that light from the sun, there might be clouds.
So what might this mean for those people?
Well, on the days that there is light, make sure you get out there.
Get out there and enjoy it.
And you know what?
Even if there are clouds, if it's not raining, take a little bit of time to just
be outside enjoying the fresh air.
And you'd still feel the warmth.
Yeah. And there's a great reason to do this too: It makes you happier.
If you're always staying inside, you might feel sad.
And that's why in the winter, the months might feel longer.
So now that it's warm enough to get outside, go outside.
It'll make you happier.
In fact, the sunshine is good for our bodies.
It provides certain vitamins that we need to help us stay in the good mood as
well and stay healthy.
So get out there, get in the sunshine and enjoy it.
We're going to talk about ways to get time outside in the fresh air after we
visit the Chat Room.
Hey, Bryan, did you know that tomorrow is the first day of spring?
Yes, I did. And I'm really glad.
Me too. I'm getting tired of all this cold weather.
And speaking of spring, I just heard someone call another person a "spring
chicken." What does that mean?
Well, a spring chicken is a young person.
But people don't usually say someone is a spring chicken.
Most of the time we'll say that someone is "no" spring chicken.
So if someone is no spring chicken, that means they're old, right?
Yes. We use this especially when an older person is trying to act or look like
they're still young.
You know, that reminds me of my uncle Eddie.
He tries to play basketball with me.
But he's no spring chicken.
I win every time.
Hey, are there any other idioms that use the word "spring"?
Yes, there are, but most of them are based on the verb "spring," which means to
jump rather than on the name of the season.
Now that you say that, I remember one of those.
Doesn't "to bring something on someone" mean to surprise them?
Yes, it does.
So if your boss tells you that you need to go on a business trip two days before
you're leaving, he is springing it on you.
Now you said there were other idioms that use "spring" as a verb, right?
I'm sure there are, Ken, but none are springing to mind.
Hey, "spring to mind!" Isn't that one?
Yes, it is. You're right.
When something springs to mind, it means you think of it right away.
You know, I think my English must be improving because English words spring to
my mind much more quickly than they used to.
Good use of the idiom, Ken.
And keep up the good work.